scholarly journals Utilisation of general practice health assessments around an aged care assessment is associated with lower mortality risk in older Australians

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Renuka Visvanathan ◽  
Azmeraw T Amare ◽  
Catherine Lang ◽  
Jyoti Khadka ◽  
Solomon Yu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Lower Risk ◽  
Aged Care ◽  
Residential Aged Care ◽  
Team Care ◽  
Risk Of Mortality ◽  
Care Assessment ◽  
Health Assessments ◽  
Management Plans ◽  
Medication Reviews ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Objective (i) to describe the general practitioner utilisation of health assessments, management plans, coordination of team care arrangements and medication review item numbers within 6 months of an aged care eligibility assessment for home care packages (HCP) and (ii) investigate the impact of health assessments on the risk of mortality and entry into permanent residential aged care (PRAC) of individuals accessing HCP. Design and setting retrospective cohort study utilising data from the Registry of Senior Australians (ROSA) was conducted. Subjects 75,172 individuals aged ≥75 years who received HCP between 2011 and 2015. Outcome measure for objective 1: the use of comprehensive assessments (Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) items 705 or 707), management plans (MBS 721), coordination of team care arrangements (MBS 723), and medication reviews (MBS 900). For objective 2: time to death and entry into PRAC. Results of the 75,172 individuals, 28.2% (95% confidence interval (CI): 27.8–8.5%) had comprehensive assessments, 36.7% (95% CI: 36.3–37.0%) had management plans, 33.0% (95% CI: 32.7–33.3%) received coordination of team care arrangements and 5.4% (95% CI: 5.2–5.5%) had medication reviews. Individuals with a comprehensive assessment had a 5% lower risk of mortality (adjusted hazard ratio (aHR), 95% CI = 0.95, 0.92–0.98) but 5% higher risk of transition to PRAC (adjusted subdistribution HRs, 95% CI = 1.05, 1.02–1.08) compared to those who did not have these services. Conclusion the utilisation of health assessments was associated with a lower risk of mortality. There is an opportunity for increased use of item numbers in frailer individuals.

General practitioner conduct of clinical services representing comprehensive geriatric assessment is associated with lower risk of mortality in older Australians receiving home care packages

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Renuka Visvanathan ◽  
Azmeraw T Amare ◽  
Steve Wesselingh ◽  
Maria C Inacio
Keyword(s):  
Home Care ◽  
Geriatric Assessment ◽  
Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment ◽  
Lower Risk ◽  
Health Assessment ◽  
Aged Care ◽  
Management Plan ◽  
Residential Aged Care ◽  
Historical Cohort ◽  
Risk Of Mortality

Abstract Objectives The purpose of this paper is to investigate the utilisation of general practice Medicare Benefit Schedule (MBS) services aligned to Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA) within 6 months of an aged care eligibility assessment and its effects on mortality and transition to permanent residential aged care (PRAC). Design Retrospective cohort study from the Historical Cohort of the Registry of Senior Australians. Setting Community. Participants In total, 69,171 Individuals (aged 75+) receiving home care packages (HCPs) between 2011 and 2015. Outcome measures Mortality and transition to PRAC. Results The claims for a management plan with team care arrangement (TCA) within 3 months of the health assessment (i.e. CGA) was present in 5% and associated with 14% lower mortality (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 95%CI = 0.86, 0.80–0.93) compared to no claims, lower than that seen with partial CGA which was either health assessment claims only 7.0% (aHR, 95%CI = 0.93, 0.89–0.97) or management plan coupled with TCA claims only 9.0% (aHR, 95%CI = 0.91, 0.89–0.97). This pattern was seen in those frailer but not in those where the frailty index score was <0.21. Claims for management plans coupled with TCAs alone were associated with a 10% lower transition to PRAC (asHR, 95%CI = 0.90, 0.85–0.96) in those with FI score < 0.21 while this estimate was not significant in individuals with FI score ≥ 0.21. Conclusion It appears the conduct of a combination of interventions considered to be components of the CGA by GPs was associated with a lower risk of mortality that no claims or partial conduct of CGA.

scholarly journals Cohort profile: Dementia in the Registry of Senior Australians

BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. e039907
Author(s):  
Monica Cations ◽  
Catherine E Lang ◽  
Stephanie A Ward ◽  
Maria Crotty ◽  
Craig Whitehead ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Service Use ◽  
Care Service ◽  
Aged Care ◽  
Residential Aged Care ◽  
Assessment Data ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
People With Dementia ◽  
Psychotropic Medicine ◽  
Care Assessment ◽  
The Impact

PurposeClinical quality registries (CQRs) are being established in many countries to monitor, benchmark, and report on the quality of dementia care over time. Case ascertainment can be challenging given that diagnosis occurs in a variety of settings. The Registry of Senior Australians (ROSA) includes a large cohort of people with dementia from all Australian states and territories identified using routinely collected aged care assessment data. In ROSA, assessment data are linked to information about aged and health service use, medicine dispensing, hospitalisations and the National Death Index. The ROSA dementia cohort was established to capture people for the Australian dementia CQR currently in development who may not be identified elsewhere.ParticipantsThere were 373 695 people with dementia identified in aged care assessments from 2008 to 2016. Cross-sectional analysis from the time of cohort entry (e.g. when first identified with dementia on an aged care assessment) indicates that individuals were 84.1 years old on average, and 63.1% were female. More than 44% were first identified at entry to permanent residential aged care. The cohort recorded more severe cognitive impairment at entry than other international dementia registries.Findings to dateThe cohort has so far been used to demonstrate a declining prevalence of dementia in individuals entering the aged care sector, examine trends in psychotropic medicine prescribing, and to examine the impact of dementia on aged care service use and outcomes.Future plansThe ROSA dementia cohort will be updated periodically and is a powerful resource both on its own and as a contributor to the Australian dementia CQR. Integration of the ROSA dementia cohort with the dementia CQR will ensure that people with dementia using aged care services can benefit from the ongoing monitoring and benchmarking of care that a registry can provide.

scholarly journals Housing and Care for Older Women in Australia

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julie E. Byles ◽  
Emily M. Princehorn ◽  
Peta M. Forder ◽  
Md Mijanur Rahman
Keyword(s):  
Service Use ◽  
Care Service ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Aged Care ◽  
Community Services ◽  
Residential Aged Care ◽  
Institutional Setting ◽  
Care Needs ◽  
Housing Type ◽  
Care Assessment

Background: Housing is essential for healthy ageing, being a source of shelter, purpose, and identity. As people age, and with diminishing physical and mental capacity, they become increasingly dependent on external supports from others and from their environment. In this paper we look at changes in housing across later life, with a focus on the relationship between housing and women's care needs.Methods: Data from 12,432 women in the 1921–26 cohort of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health were used to examine the interaction between housing and aged care service use across later life.Results: We found that there were no differences in access to home and community care according to housing type, but women living in an apartment and those in a retirement village/hostel were more likely to have an aged care assessment and had a faster rate of admission to institutional residential aged care than women living in a house. The odds of having an aged care assessment were also higher if women were older at baseline, required help with daily activities, reported a fall, were admitted to hospital in the last 12 months, had been diagnosed or treated for a stroke in the last 3 years, or had multiple comorbidities. On average, women received few services in the 24 months prior to admission to institutional residential aged care, indicating a potential need to improve the reach of these services.Discussion: We find that coincident with changes in functional capacities and abilities, women make changes to their housing, sometimes moving from a house to an apartment, or to a village. For some, increasing needs in later life are associated with the need to move from the community into institutional residential aged care. However, before moving into care, many women will use community services and these may in turn delay the need to leave their homes and move to an institutional setting. We identify a need to increase the use of community services to delay the admission to institutional residential aged care.

scholarly journals The Impact of Musculoskeletal Conditions on Assessed Levels of Care Required by Older Australians

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tiffany K Gill ◽  
Steve Wesselingh ◽  
Maria C Inacio
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Residential Care ◽  
Chronic Conditions ◽  
Community Care ◽  
Care Service ◽  
Functional Limitations ◽  
Aged Care ◽  
Residential Aged Care ◽  
Musculoskeletal Conditions ◽  
The Impact

IntroductionMusculoskeletal problems, including conditions such as back pain, neck pain, rheumatoid arthritis, gout and osteoarthritis are common in the population and significant contributors to global disease burden. Age is one of the most common risk factors for musculoskeletal conditions and over 40% of older people accessing residential aged care have a musculoskeletal condition. It is not known whether individuals living in the community with musculoskeletal conditions have similar needs to those in permanent care and this is important to know in order to provide appropriate care. Objectives and ApproachThe objective of this study was to profile individuals with musculoskeletal conditions in different aged care service settings (i.e. permanent care, community care only, transition/ respite care, or no services). Specifically, we examined the concurrent chronic conditions, health risk factors and functional limitations of individuals by service setting. A cross-sectional evaluation of individuals in the National Historical Cohort of the Registry of Senior Australians (ROSA) between 2004 and 2014 was conducted. Multivariable logistic regression models estimated the factors associated with being in different aged care settings. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were determined. Results401,026 (42.5%) individuals with musculoskeletal conditions were assessed for aged care service eligibility during the study period. Of these 197,181 (49.2%) accessed permanent care, 37,003 (9.2%) accessed home care, 54,826 (13.7%) transition/respite, and 112,016 (27.9%) - no care. Individuals accessing community care compared to residential care were more likely to be female, have pain and have difficulty maintaining their home, as were individuals accessing no services compared to residential care. Conclusion / ImplicationsCompared to those in residential care, individuals with musculoskeletal conditions in the community with or without assistance had few differences related to other chronic conditions and functional limitations. But the reasons why some had support, while others did not, are unclear.

scholarly journals Long-Term Effect of Non-Selective Beta-Blockers in Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis After Myocardial Infarction—A Nationwide Cohort Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sheng-Fu Liu ◽  
Chih-Kuo Lee ◽  
Kuan-Chih Huang ◽  
Lian-Yu Lin ◽  
Mu-Yang Hsieh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rheumatoid Arthritis ◽  
Myocardial Infarction ◽  
Protective Effect ◽  
Lower Risk ◽  
Beta Blockers ◽  
Term Survival ◽  
Risk Of Mortality ◽  
All Cause Mortality ◽  
The Impact

Objectives: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an independent nontraditional risk factor for incidence of myocardial infarction (MI) and post-MI outcome is impaired in the RA population. Use of beta-blockers improves the long-term survival after MI in the general population while the protective effect of beta-blockers in RA patients is not clear. We investigate the impact of beta-blockers on the long-term outcome of MI among RA patients.Methods: We identified RA subjects from the registries for catastrophic illness and myocardial infarction from 2003 to 2013. The enrolled subjects were divided into three groups according to the prescription of beta-blockers (non-user, non-selective, and β1-selective beta-blockers). The primary endpoint was all-cause mortality. We adjusted clinical variables and utilized propensity scores to balance confounding bias. Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to estimate the incidence of mortality in different groups.Results: A total of 1,292 RA patients with myocardial infarction were enrolled, where 424 (32.8%), 281 (21.7%), and 587 (45.5%) subjects used non-user, non-selective, and β1-selective beta-blockers, respectively. Use of beta-blockers was associated with lower risk of all-cause mortality after adjustment with comorbidities, medications (adjusted hazard ratio [HR] 0.871; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.727–0.978), and propensity score (HR 0.882; 95% CI 0.724–0.982). Compared with β1-selective beta-blockers, treatment with non-selective beta-blockers (HR 0.856; 95% CI 0.702–0.984) was significantly related to lower risk of mortality. The protective effect of non-selective beta-blockers remained in different subgroups including sex and different anti-inflammatory drugs.Conclusion: Use of beta-blockers improved prognosis in post-MI patients with RA. Treatment with non-selective beta-blockers was significantly associated with reduced risk of mortality in RA patients after MI rather than β1-selective beta-blockers.

Accommodation payment plans in residential aged care: The impact of consumer choice

2019 ◽  
Vol 39 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Olukorede Abiona ◽  
Serena Yu ◽  
Mike Woods ◽  
Kees van Gool
Keyword(s):  
Consumer Choice ◽  
Aged Care ◽  
Residential Aged Care ◽  
The Impact

scholarly journals Identification of Risk of QT Prolongation by Pharmacists When Conducting Medication Reviews in Residential Aged Care Settings: A Missed Opportunity?

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (11) ◽  
pp. 1866
Author(s):  
Louise Christensen ◽  
J. Rick Turner ◽  
Gregory M. Peterson ◽  
Mark Naunton ◽  
Jackson Thomas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Torsade De Pointes ◽  
Aged Care ◽  
Qt Prolongation ◽  
Further Education ◽  
Residential Aged Care ◽  
Qt Interval Prolongation ◽  
High Prevalence ◽  
Medication Reviews ◽  
Missed Opportunity

QT interval prolongation is associated with torsade de pointes and sudden cardiac death. QT prolongation can be caused by many drugs that are commonly prescribed in elderly residential aged care populations. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of use of QT-prolonging drugs and to identify interventions made by pharmacists to reduce the risk of QT prolongation when conducting medication reviews in aged care. A retrospective analysis of 400 medication reviews undertaken by Australian pharmacists in aged care settings was conducted. The assessment included the risk of QT prolongation due to prescribed medications and other risk factors and the recommendations made by pharmacists to reduce the risk of QT prolongation. There was a high prevalence of the use of QT-prolonging medication, with 23% of residents (92 out of 400) taking at least one medication with a known risk of QT prolongation. Amongst the 945 prescribed drugs with any risk of QT prolongation, antipsychotics were the most common (n = 246, 26%), followed by antidepressants (19%) and proton pump inhibitors (13%). There appeared to be low awareness amongst the pharmacists regarding the risk of QT prolongation with drugs. Out of 400 reviews, 66 residents were categorised as high risk and were taking at least one medication associated with QT prolongation; yet pharmacists intervened in only six instances (9%), mostly when two QT-prolonging medications were prescribed. There is a need to increase awareness amongst pharmacists conducting medication reviews regarding the risk factors associated with QT prolongation, and further education is generally needed in this area.

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